Reported Availability, Additional Cost and Use of Methods to Limit Cross‐Contact of Gluten‐Free Foods in Restaurants in a Canadian Large Urban Centre

BACKGROUND: The availability and cost of gluten-free (GF) products in grocery stores and online have increased in recent years, but less is known about availability and cost of GF menu items in restaurants, as well as whether methods are being implemented to limit cross-contact (CC) of GF with gluten-containing menu items. The purpose of this study was to assess the reported availability, additional cost and use of methods to limit cross-contact (CC) of GF items in restaurants in Winnipeg, Canada. METHODS: ) tests were used to test for differences in the proportion of restaurants reporting serving GF items, charging extra and using methods to limit CC based on service type, locality, and ethnic cuisine type. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 548 restaurants surveyed, 69% reported offering GF items. A higher proportion of full-service restaurants (73%) reported offering GF foods compared to quick-service restaurants (55%). A lower proportion of full-service restaurants that served GF foods reported a surcharge (22%) compared to quick-service restaurants (48%). Similarly, a lower proportion of full-service restaurants that served GF foods reported using methods to limit CC (79%) compared to quick-service restaurants that served GF foods (90%). A higher proportion of chain restaurants reported GF menu options (78%), additional charge for GF foods (41%) and using methods to limit CC (89%) compared to local restaurants (67%, 22%, 78%, respectively). The type of cuisine significantly affected the proportion of restaurants reporting GF item availability, surcharges and whether methods were used to limit CC. CONCLUSIONS: Availability of GF foods, cost and use of procedures to limit gluten CC vary based on type of service, locality, and cuisine served.